car gas mileage changed?

Question

I have a 04 ols olereo. the last 3 tanks of gas got 3-4 miles per gallon less. car runs great 31000 miles on it. is this weather or gas related??? usually get 32 mpg

Answer 1

Check the basic things first. With cold weather the tire pressure is less, (heat expands, cold contracts) so you may be running on lower than optimum pressure. That alone would cause a drop in the gas mileage.

It could also be that in your area, they are using a different blend of gasoline (thank the government!) that is affecting your mileage!

Answer 2

Cold weather can affect your gas mileage, you usually let the car run in the morning to defrost the windows, and if you are like me you have your heater motor running full blast most of the time. This makes the alternator run harder thus putting more resistance on your serpentine belt and robbing your gas mileage and horsepower believe it or not.

Answer 3

Could be any number of things. I assume you don' t need an oil change. It could be time for spark plugs and wires, but at 31K that'd be a little bit premature. Might need a fuel filter, might be low air pressure in your tires. I usually put in some STP complete fuel system cleaner in my tank every 4K miles and that keeps the fuel injectors and all that stuff clean.

Answer 4

Have you changed brands of gas? Some stations are better than others. Maybe you are using blended gas. This type of gas does not produce the same milage as regular gasoline does.

Answer 5

weather related almost positive , have your rear wheel bearings re-packed and check your tire pressure too , this will bring back some , your engine will use more fuel now too.

Answer 6

Does it drive different? It could be that its colder outside and that is affecting it.

Answer 7

Try removing some oil.